Former Japan striker Shinji Okazaki, whose 50 international goals are the third-most in Samurai Blue history, will retire at the end of this season, a source familiar with the matter said Monday.
Okazaki earned 119 caps for Japan and played at three straight World Cups, starting with the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
The 37-year-old has missed much of the ongoing campaign with Belgian top-flight side Sint-Truiden due to injury.
Known for his relentlessness both on and off the ball, Okazaki joined the J. League's Shimizu S-Pulse in 2005 out of high school in his native Hyogo Prefecture.
After stints with Stuttgart and Mainz in the German Bundesliga, he transferred to Leicester in the English Premier League and contributed to the Foxes winning the 2015-16 title.
He later spent two seasons with Spanish outfit Huesca, helping them earn promotion from the second division to La Liga for just the second time in club history.
The forward has been with Japanese-owned Sint-Truiden since 2022.
